So how was your day?

[NeoCalculus]

This is a short story I wrote.  Hope you enjoy it.

   â€œHey Steve!  Wait up!”
It was a cool, crisp late October afternoon.  The air was rich with sweet smell of burning leaves and hot cider.  The grass crackled and snapped under foot.  The air carried with it the warm promise of a new summer to come.
   Steve was quickly walking to the Delaro house from school.  He was half way across the school’s 3 acre field when his good friend Marc called out to him.  Steve and Marc had been friends since Preschool, and, strangely, were almost alike in everyway.  They both were fairly average looking kids; both had dark auburn hair and amber colored eyes.  There was one striking difference though, and was very noticeable right off.  Steve had a fair sized scar on his left cheek, left there by a dog that attacked him when he was only 3.
   â€œâ€™ey Marcus, how’s it goin’?”
   â€œPretty good, pretty good…*sigh* Erm, say, are you ready for Halloween?  Its only 2 days away.”
   â€œYa kidding?  Of course I’m ready for Halloween.  I’ve been ready since last June, remember?”
   â€œHeh heh, that’s right.  How could I forget?”
   â€œIndeed.  I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but was this all you wanted to bother me for?  I’m kind of in a hurry a today.  I’m already 5 minutes late for piano lessons, and I know Mrs. Delaro will have a few words to say to my folks if I don’t hurry up.”
   â€œWell, there was something I wanted to ask you about.”
   â€œOkay, go ahead.”
   Marc stops walking.  Steve does the same and looks at Marc, now aware of the grim look on his face.  Marc stares into Steve’s eyes, unblinking.
   â€œSteve, I’m moving.  My dad’s got a new job out east somewhere and we all have to move.  We’re leaving in an hour.”
   â€œWhat?  Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?  I’m sure they didn’t just decide on this last night.”
   â€œWell, I didn’t want to get you down.  I know how great of friends we are, but I didn’t want to bother you.”
   â€œBother me?  What are you talking about?”
   â€œEh, I don’t know.”
   The two just stare at each other.  Finally, hesitantly, Marcus closes his eyes and walks away.
   â€œUh…wha…huh?  Ya, ya just gonna walk away?  Not even gonna say anything?”
   But Marcus just continues walking, not saying a thing.  Steve just falls on the ground, wondering why his best friend had to leave, and what was the deal with their conversation?  Why did it seem like Marc was hiding something, or dodging something?


   â€œWhere the hell do you think your going?  Get back here or you might not live to regret it!”
It was a cold and bitter late October afternoon.  The air was foul with the stench of mold and rotting mushrooms.  The grass was sharp, jagged, and lifeless.  The air hung heavy with the threat of the on coming winter.
   Suzan was running from a group of bullies who had been determined for weeks to steal her notebooks.  She was half way across the field when they spotted her today, a new record.  She wasn’t exactly the smartest kid in school, but she always did her work and got descent grades.  Unfortunately, she was a daydreamer, and would often space out in class, filling her note books with pictures of all sorts of dark things.  She loved to watch scary movies and was often plagued with night terrors, so the only way she was able to release her fear and tension was through sketches of the vary things that terrorized her.  One day, Vince, the School bully caught her drawing a picture of him getting mauled by some dragon creature, and from that day forward, he was determined to get his hands on those note books and humiliate Suzan in any way he could find.
   Suzan wasn’t the prettiest or trendiest girl at school.  She had few friends and often got into fights with the other students.  She was noticeable by her straight black hair that hung down to her shoulders, the fact that everyday she wore a dark purple t-shirt, a black vest, and large, baggy blue jeans.
   Vince and his cronies had almost caught up to her by the time she was across the field, but she gave them the slip by running through a busy street, just dodging the cars by inches, and leaping into a forested ravine on the other side of the road.
   â€œDamn, well get ‘er next time right boys?”
   There was a murmur of agreement.
   Suzan sat down on the ground and wept.  This had happened so many times now, and she could stand it any longer.  She beat her fists and the ground and swore that one day Vince would get his, him and everyone else who ever made fun of her, or picked on her, or called her names, or got in fights with her.  She would get them someday, and show everyone a thing or two.
   She Suzan cursed, cried, and swore, a small kitten cautiously approached her.  It softly mewed and sat down some 10 feet away, up the hill.  Suzan turned around and recognized it as a cat this one jerk at school used to have.  He moved away the day before, and was glad too.  He never tried to help her, never.  Oh what was his name…it was like, Markus or something.  No wait; it was Marcus, with a c.  She thought of only Marcus, and his stupid friend Steve, and how much she hated them.  She was so absorbed in her anger that she didn’t notice the cat approach her and sit down next to her.  It mewed again.  She turned on it, about ready to smack it away, when, looking into its soft, round eyes, her anger just melted off.  It was a very nice cat, and she knew it needed a new owner.  She picked it up and started to carry it home with her.  She named it Prometheus.  As she walked, she asked herself, why did this cat came to me?  How come I feel so much better now?


   â€œCan I see your ticket please?”
It was a plain and boring late October afternoon.  The air was cold and stiff.  The grass was gray and dry.  The air carried with it the promise that tomorrow would be exactly the same.
   Tony was getting on the bus to go home.  It had been a shocking day, but he honestly didn’t care.  Tony was a rather forgettable looking boy.  He had light brown hair, dark blue eyes, and wasn’t much taller than anyone else.  He was dressed in a grey blue hoody and blue jeans.
   He handed his card to the bus driver, who punched the ticket, and let him aboard the bus.  Today had been a shocking day indeed.
   Tony sat down and looked out the window, thinking about today’s events.  Suzan, the girl that was always getting picked on came to school today with a gun and shot Vince in the stomach 3 times.  He didn’t die, but they had to send him to the hospital.  Suzan was arrested by the police and taken into custody.  Nobody knows what will happen to her, but then again, I don’t care.  I’ve never cared.  Why should I care?  Nobody has ever cared about me, so why should I even bother?  People are such pawns.  People were freaking out when she shot him, asking “Why would she do such a thing?”  Christ people are stupid.  The guy was a damn bully who had been picking on her for weeks.  If I was in her position, I might have gone through with it sooner.  *sigh* Oh well.
   The bus continued on its path.  People got off of the bus at each stop.  Finally, it arrived at Tony’s street, the last stop on the bus.
   â€œK’ kid, this is where you get off.  I know it for a fact, now get OFF!”
   Tony sighed and climbed slowly off of the bus.  Jeez, why was the bus driver so angry?  Beh, it doesn’t matter.
   It was Halloween, and Tony was home, watching TV alone.  His parents were never home, and he was used to it by this time in his life.  Some trick-or-treaters came by and he gave them candy.  Nothing special.  Fun sized Three-Musketeers, oh joy…  Tony went to bed that night wondering, why am I always lonely?  Why can’t I care about things like other people do?  I’m tired of my bored cynicism.

[Jehuty]

I'll do a thumbs up first............ *thumbs up* Okay, now I'll actually read it.

[NeoCalculus]

Well be sure to let me know what you think of it when your done.

[Lazlo Falconi]

Hey, that's pretty neat. A bit short. I mean, a bit very short. But a good read none-the-less.

[Swiftman]

Okay, Skull, if ever I die somehow, I give you the rights to Snowcraft.

Cuz that's the best damn thing I've seen from nearly anyone on TPH.

I loved it. Very nice work, you got all the inner dialogue right, the events, all of it.

Extremely good piece of work, Skull. *thumbs up*

[NeoCalculus]

Well thanks, I'm glad all-a-yall like it.